The one-time Major League baseball first-round draft pick was selected as a member of the opening day roster for the Cincinnati Reds.

“Oh my gosh, it feels like nine years of hard work has paid off,” Bell said in an interview Saturday afternoon after the Reds fell to their Triple-A affliate Louisville, 1-0, in the spring training finale.

“I don’t even know how to explain it. I’ve been to five or six major league spring-training camps and it’s never happened to me before. It’s an honor and I’m blessed.”

Even though Bell has had previous major league experience with the Los Angeles Angeles of Anaheim, he’s never made a club out of spring training.

“It’s completely different making a team out of spring training than when you’re called up during the regular season,” Bell said. “All the way down from the front office to the coaching staff, there’s support.

“It shows that you’re one of the guys. The Reds communicated to me that I wasn’t just the by-chance 25th guy. Hopefully, I’ll be a big part of the organization. It’s incredible.”

The Reds kick off the 2014 season at home Monday afternoon versus Central Division rival St. Louis, the defending National League champion.

Bell, a right-handed reliever, was one of several non-roster invitees attempting to make the cut with the Reds out of spring training on a list that include notable veterans such as Jeff Francis and Chien-Ming Wang.

Bell has had a solid spring, having appeared in 10 games of Cactus League action and having allowed one earned run and five hits over 9.2 innings with 12 strikeouts versus two walks.

Whenever Bell comes out of the pen this season, he’ll be making his first major league action since 2011 as a member of the Angels.

Bell, who drafted 37th overall in 2005, has a career record of 4-8 with a 5.21 earned-run average over 115.2 innings pitched.